Most Iconic Shoes

We have named 20 styles that are worthy of enduring shoe veneration - whether based on their cult following, their association with famous events or certain periods in time. Who could forget when Naomi Campbell fell from Vivienne Westwood's towering heels on the catwalk or when the Spice Girls managed to convince the majority of teenage girls to wear those Buffalo platform trainers?

From Alexander McQueen's Armadillo heels to Kate Moss' influential footwear choices, see history's most famous styles.

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CINDERELLA’S GLASS SLIPPER - Recently reinterpreted by Christian Louboutin, Cinderella’s glass slipper set the benchmark for princess-perfect shoes. Dainty, feminine and graceful (even if the princess in question did manage to leave one behind at the ball), this well-known style and its accompanying story suggests that a beautiful pair shoes really can lead to happily-ever-afters.

SPICE GIRL PLATFORMS - Platform shoes first made their mark on the fashion world in the Sixties, but the Spice Girls well and truly put them back on the map in the Nineties. Their towering trainers, created by footwear label Buffalo, were on the top of every young girl’s shopping wish list – spurring a trend of copycat versions across the high street.

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YVES SAINT LAURENT TRIBUTE HEELS - The most copied shoes of recent years, the Yves Saint Laurent Tribute – which come in a round toe court as well as the strappy sandal pictured here – have been worn by every stylish star imaginable, including Kate Moss, Kylie Minogue, Julia Roberts, Cara Delevingne and Tilda Swinton.

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ALEXA CHUNG’S PENNY LOAFERS - Alexa Chung, muse and style icon, admirably convinced legions of young women to scrap their heels for a pair of comfortable penny loafers after she began wearing them a few years ago. While they look easy to wear, they aren’t quite as user-friendly as their appearance might suggest – long, leggy types need only apply.

AUDREY HEPBURN’S BALLET FLATS - Ballet flats were first conceived in the 16th Century as the footwear of choice of ballet dancers. In Medieval times, they were worn by both men and women, but went out of fashion after high-heels were first introduced. However, ballet flats became a popular on a mainstream level when Audrey Hepburn wore them with slim-fitting, cropped trousers in the film Funny Face in 1957. Today, they still offer an easy, gamine elegance that women the world over still want to tap into, from Kate Moss to Olivia Palermo.

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VIVIENNE WESTWOOD’S PIRATE BOOTS - 1981 was a big year in the shoe world – Vivienne Westwood created the Pirate boot. The slouchy, suede style didn’t make the footwear big-time until Kate Moss bought a pair from Notting Hill vintage haven Rellik in 1999, sparking an unprecedented demand – with hundreds wanting to emulate the supermodel’s pared-down, insouciant cool. Versatile and classic, they look as great with skinny jeans as they do pretty summer dresses.

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CONVERSE ALL STAR - The most iconic sports shoe ever invented, Converse started to cultivate international fame when it introduced the first performance basketball shoe in 1912. In the Fifties, the All Star sneaker became a wardrobe staple of Hollywood stars such as James Dean. The label’s high-top boot and white pumps became the perfect footwear to accompany washed jeans and leather jackets – a look symptomatic of rebellious rock ‘n’ roll cool. Today, the label is still worn as a symbol of grungy cool and is a favourite of Kristen Stewart (who changed into her Converse as soon as she stepped off the red carpet of the Snow White and the Huntsman London premiere in May), Agyness Deyn and Sienna Miller.

JULIA ROBERTS’ PRETTY WOMAN BOOTS - They may not be the most classy of footwear styles, but the vinyl, thigh-high boots worn by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman are instantly recognisable. They have since been copied by a host of designers, from Christian Louboutin to Manolo Blahnik, all of whom are keen to inject a little fetishism into their designs.

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KATE MOSS’ GLADIATOR SANDALS - Gladiator sandals were reportedly the first rigid shoes ever to be invented, and were worn by Roman gladiators as a form of protective clothing. They have since been reincarnated on the catwalks by Jean Paul Gaultier, Prada, Alexander McQueen, Versace and Calvin Klein, although became ubiquitous in the summer of 2004 when Kate Moss stepped out in a pair. Comfortable, practical and versatile, gladiator sandals are still a summer favourite.

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MARIE ANTOINETTE RIBBONED HEELS - A figurehead of decadence, beauty and ostentatiousness of the highest degree, Marie Antoinette was well-known and widely-criticised for her excessive shopping habits and her love for shoes - which looked like delicious, cake-like treats and were often decked in silk bows and lace frills. The ill-fated queen even walked to the guillotine in a pair of two-inch heels. A true shoe heroine.

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ALEXANDER MCQUEEN’S ARMADILLO SHOES - Alexander McQueen’s otherworldly claw-like Armadillo shoes measure an impressive 12 inches from floor to ankle and were originally showcased at the designer’s spring/summer 2010 collection. His friend, heiress Daphne Guinness, was the first to be brave enough to wear them in public, stepping (carefully), out in them at a party to celebrate make-up label Nars’ 15th anniversary party. She still maintains that they “were actually very light and comfortable”.

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD’S SUPER ELEVATED GILLIE PLATFORMS - The picture of Naomi Campbell falling over in Vivienne Westwood’s towering, nine-inch mock crocodile-skin platforms is one of fashion’s most well-known images. The supermodel famously toppled on the designer’s spring/summer 1993 catwalk and was photographed laughing good-naturedly. The shoes have since been showcased at various museums across the world, from Moscow to County Durham.

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DOROTHY’S RUBY SLIPPERS - Arguably the most famous shoes in history, Dorothy’s ruby slippers in the Wizard of Oz were a means of protection against the evil Wicked Witch of the West. It is only at the end of the film that Dorothy (played by Judy Garland), discovers that, if she taps her shoes three times, the shoes will magically transport her back to her home in Kansas. The slippers were created by costume designer Gilbert Adrian, using 2,300 sequins, butterfly-shaped bows, Swarovski crystals, red glass beads and sparkling organza.

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PRADA SPRING/SUMMER 2009 - Prada’s spring/summer 2009 heels were so perilously high that two models fell to their knees while attempting to wear them on the catwalk. The audience cheered both beauties on, fully appreciating the difficulties of walking in such “heart-stopping high” shoes.

KATE MOSS’ HUNTER WELLINGTONS - Hunter boots were first conceived in 1856, but only became well-known at the start of World War I when wellingtons made for perfect, sturdy footwear in flooded, wet trenches. Hunter was awarded a Royal Warrant from the Duke of Edinburgh in 1977 and then from Her Majesty 1986 – and practicality is still a priority for the company today. They became boots of choice for festival-goers, inspired by Kate Moss’ endorsement at Glastonbury in 2005.

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TWIGGY’S BROGUES - Iconic Sixties supermodel Twiggy was the first to ever wear women’s brogues, after photographer Justin de Villeneuve persuaded traditional London shoemaker George Cleverley to design shoes for a female audience – the result being a pair of black and white brogues. As androgyny became a key fashion trend in the Nineties and the Noughties, brogues garnered mainstream popularity, with fans such as Keira Knightley, Alexa Chung and Agyness Deyn.

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MANOLO BLAHNIK’S SOMETHING BLUE PUMP - Carrie Bradshaw’s enviable collection of Manolos made most women want to rush out and fill their wardrobes with his beautiful designs, but it is the blue satin heeled pumps with jewelled buckle that are the label’s most famous. The style plays a starring role in the Sex and the City film as Carrie’s wedding gift to herself before she marries her long-term on-off boyfriend Mr Big. Like Cinderella, the shoes help reunite the couple at the end of the film. Only in Sex and the City.

THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE’S NUDE COURTS - While she may vary her outfits, spanning the high street and luxury markets, the Duchess of Cambridge has a clear favourite when it comes to her shoes. Her patent, nude LK Bennett courts have become a style signature, having been worn with a host of her prim, feminine dresses. Whether you love them or hate them, they have become one of today’s most famous footwear styles.

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CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN’S YSL TRIBUTE SHOE - Christian Louboutin had long been a fan of Yves Saint Laurent’s work when he created a pair of heels dedicated to the designer’s work, giving them to Loulou Falaise as a present. Falaise wore them in front of Saint Laurent, who liked them so much he decided to include them in his final catwalk show in spring/summer 2002. It was the only time the late couturier collaborated with another designer.